DETROIT (12/21/2016) -- The University of Detroit Mercy men's basketball team will host Fort Wayne on Thursday, Dec. 22, in the Titans final non-conference match-up of the season.
Game time is set for 7 p.m., inside historic Calihan Hall.
Fans can catch all the action on ESPN3 with Dan Leach on the call alongside former Titan standout Earl Cureton as well as on the radio on 910 AM Superstation with
Cliff Russell providing the action. Live stats will also be provided.
The Titans are coming off an 85-79 victory over Western Kentucky. The Titans shot a season-high 52.5-percent shooting from the field, including 60.0-percent from three (12-of-20).
The win moved the Titans to 84-21 in their last 105 home games against non-league schools.
Tickets to all home games start at just $10, $6 for children and seniors. To purchase tickets online, visit
detroittitans.com/tix. To purchase over the phone or for more information on game and season tickets, contact Director of Ticket Operations & Sales
Justin Hairston at 313-993-1700 ext. 7301 or at
hairstjj1@udmercy.edu.
ALL-TIME VS. FORT WAYNE
This is the first career meeting between the two schools, separated by just 170 miles.
Fort Wayne is in its 15th year as a member of Division I moving to the top ranks during the 2001-02 season.
ABOUT THE MASTODONS
Fort Wayne is 9-3 on the season, including an overtime win over No. 3 Indiana, 71-68. The Mastodons have won eight of their last nine with their only loss on the road at No. 23 Notre Dame.
Mo Evans tops the team with 18.0 points, while running the offense with 6.1 assists per game. Bryson Scott is tallying 16.7 points and 5.4 rebounds, while John Konchar is averaging 13.6 points and a team-high 8.2 rebounds.
Fort Wayne is posting 88.4 points a game and is letting up 73.2.
LOOKING AHEAD
Twelve non-conference games are in the books and now it is time for the "second season" of college basketball as the conference slate begins with Northern Kentucky coming to town on Thursday, Dec. 29.
Game time is set for 7:30 p.m., and is part of a Titan basketball doubleheader with the women hosting Valparaiso at 5 p.m.
TOUGH SCHEDULE
The eleven (11) non-conference foes on the Titan men's basketball schedule posted a 197-161 (.550) last season with four teams making the postseason in East Tennessee State (Vegas 16), Florida State (NIT), New Hampshire (CIT) and Fort Wayne (NIT).
So far, the non-conference foes the Titans have faced are a combined 69-54 (56.0%), including 35-5 (87.5%) for the six non-conference match-ups on the road.
In the national polls, Florida State is ranked No. 21 in the AP and No. 22 in the coaches poll, while ETSU is ranked No. 18 and Fort Wayne No. 19 in the mid-major poll.
HIT OR MISS
The Titans were struggling from the three-point line during a four-game stretch hitting just 13-of-69 (18.8%), but came alive last game sinking 12-of-20 (60.0%) in the win over Western Kentucky.
The 12 triples tied a season high with the 12 Detroit Mercy hit against Adrian in the season opener, also a victory, and the 12 it netted on the road at East Tennessee State.
The Titans are currently sixth in the Horizon League in three-point field goal percentage (39.4%) and three-point field goals per game (6.8).
DEFENSIVE IMPROVEMENTS
The Titans have shown some improvements on defense since the season has started.
After allowing teams to shoot over 50.0 percent in the first five games, the Titans have held their last six to under that mark, including a season-low 40.4 percent at Toledo.
In fact on the road against the Rockets, Detroit Mercy limited the Rockets to just 30.4 percent in the first half, including 1-of-8 from three.
Also, after being outworked on the boards in seven-straight games - including three by double digits - the Titans have won the glass the in two of the last three games with a 43-37 advantage at Toledo and a 39-34 margin at Bowling Green.
Both of those games also saw Detroit Mercy come away with more offensive boards.
The 43 boards at Toledo represented the most since the 44 they corralled in the season opener against Adrian.
UNSTOPPABLE
Junior
Jaleel Hogan has once again been an offensive force down low for the Titans as he is fourth in the Horizon League and 37th in the nation in field-goal percentage at 58.6 percent (58-of-99).
He is currently second in school history in career field-goal percentage at 58.7 percent trailing only Eli Holman '12 (60.5%).
JALETHAL
Junior
Jaleel Hogan saw his streak of six-straight games in double figures come to an end at Toledo, but he is looking to begin a new one after leading the Titans with 16 points at Bowling Green and tying his season high with 19 versus Western Kentucky.
Against WKU, he connected on a career-best 9-of-13 from the field.
He has now been in double figures in nine of the 11 Titan games and is second on the team and 13th in the HL in scoring at 13.5 ppg.
His other double-digit scoring efforts have included:
16-points at Murray State
11 points against Eastern Michigan
19 points against Manhattan
18 points at New Hampshire
16 points at Illinois
12 at Florida State
12 against Adrian
Hogan has also just missed a double-double a couple of times corralling back-to-back nine-rebound outings against Manhattan and Eastern Michigan and eight boards against WKU.
HIGH SCORING MCFOLLEY
Sophomore
Josh McFolley is currently leading the team and is 11th in the Horizon League in scoring at 14.0 points per game.
He is coming off another explosive game with 24 points - including six triples - in the win over Western Kentucky.
He has been in double figures eight times already, including the last four games with 10 against Bowling Green, 14 at Toledo and a team-high 17 at Murray State.
McFolley also owns the Titan best of 25 points on the season at ETSU, 16 at Illinois, 13 at New Hampshire and 18 versus Manhattan.
AN HONOR FOR #23
Sophomore
Josh McFolley was named the College Sports Madness Horizon League Player of the Week on Dec. 19.
McFolley tallied a game-high 24 points – 16 in the second half – while also handing out a career-high eight assists in the Titans 85-79 victory over Western Kentucky.
With his eight assists leading to 19 Titan points combined with his own 24, McFolley accounted for a little over 50.0-percent of the Detroit Mercy offense in the win.
WHEN HE GETS HOT....
Sophomore
Josh McFolley is one of the top three-point shooters in the Horizon League, evident by his last performance when he nailed six treys - four in the second half - against WKU.
Earlier this season, he tallied a career-best seven trifecta's at ETSU, and has now made at least two 3-pointers in seven of the Titans' 11 contests.
He is currently tied for fourth in three-point field goals made (2.4) and 11th in three-point field goal percentage (40.0%).
LITTLE GUY, BIG BOARDS
For the second time this season, sophomore
Josh McFolley was able to pull down a career best in rebounds coming away with eight at Bowling Green.
With the 10 points he scored, he just missed his first career double-double.
Earlier this season, he posted his then career high of five boards at Illinois.
CJ DOES IT ALL
Senior
Chris Jenkins got off to a slow start from behind the arc, but he was 3-of-4 his last time out and is eighth in school history in three-point field goal percentage at 40.8 percent (84-of-206).
Jenkins has scored in double figures in eight games on the season and tallied his first double-double of the year, and fifth of his career, with 15 points and a career-best 14 rebounds at Toledo.
Earlier this year, he netted his season-high of 18 at Florida State.
He has also just missed recording a couple of other double-doubles with 13 points and nine boards at Illinois and nine points with eight rebounds against Eastern Michigan.
Jenkins has handed out an assist in nine games with a season-high five at ETSU.
He is third on the team in scoring (11.7 ppg.) - 20th in the HL - while topping the squad on the boards (6.5 rpg.) - eighth in the HL.
DRE DAY
Junior
DeShawndre Black has had at least three assists in eight of the first 11 games, including a season-best seven assists against Manhattan and five assists at Murray State.
He is currently 11th in the Horizon League with 3.0 assists per game.
Black also has a 2.9 assist-to-turnover ratio on the season (33 assists, 11 turnovers) - good for second in the HL and ranking 52nd in the nation.
JUST PERFECT
Sophomore
Gerald Blackshear Jr. is coming off a few very active games including just missing a double-double by tying his career high with 12 points and pulling down a season-best nine rebounds at Bowling Green.
He was 6-of-9 against the Falcons and has connected on 50.0-percent or more from the field eight times this year.
Blackshear Jr. also had 10 points, five boards and a steal at Toledo and eight points, five rebounds and an assist at Murray State.
He had a solid game recording 10 points (4-6 FG) and six boards against Manhattan, and that was after a nine-point, seven-rebound performance at New Hampshire, where he was 4-of-5 from the field.
On the year, he is 34-of-54 (63.0%) from the field, good for second in the Horizon League.
Last season, he shot 55.2 percent from the field in limited attempts.
COREY GETTING IN A ZONE
Freshman
Corey Allen has notched double figures in scoring five times this season, including his last time out registering 16 points, two assists, two steals and a rebound vs. WKU.
He netted a season-high 20 points against Eastern Michigan, where he was 7-of-11 from the field and 4-of-6 from deep. At Murray State, he had 16 points and was 5-of-9 from the field with four 3-pointers and tied his season high with five rebounds and two assists.
In his last five games, he is averaging 12.4 points on 20-of-38 shooting (52.6%) and 13-of-24 (54.1%) from three.
In his first five games, Allen averaged 8.2 points on 36.6 percent shooting (15-of-41) and 35.3 percent (6-of-17) from long range.
He is currently fourth on the team in scoring at 10.3 points, third most among HL freshmen.
Allen is also fifth in the HL in three-point field goal percentage (46.3%) and tied for 13th with 1.9 three-point field goals per game.
NOT ON MY WATCH
Junior
Jaleel Hogan posted a career-best three blocks against Eastern Michigan and has six blocks in the last four games.
He is currently eighth in the Horizon League with 0.8 blocks per game.
YOU LITTLE THIEF
Sophomore
Josh McFolley tied his career high with four steals at Toledo and has nine steals in the last three games.
McFolley is currently tied for third in the Horizon League with 1.5 steals per game.
LONG BALL
Freshman
Cole Long made his first collegiate start against WKU and played a season-high 34 minutes, posting four points, four rebounds, two assists, a block and a steal.
CONGRATS YOUNG ALLEN
Rookie
Corey Allen is starting to blossom into one of the top young scorers in the HL and the conference recognized him as its Freshman of the Week on Monday, Dec. 5.
Allen led the Titans in scoring in at 18.0 points in games against Eastern Michigan and Murray State. He 60.0-percent from the field (12-of-20), including 61.5-percent (8-of-13) from three. He started the week by recording a season-high 20 points against Eastern Michigan, going 7-of-11 from the field with four triples.
He then knocked down another four 3-pointers en route to 16 points, while tying his season high with five rebounds and two assists at Murray State.
CAREER NIGHT FOR MCFOLLEY
Sophomore
Josh McFolley tallied a career-high 25 points at ETSU going 8-of-17 from the field and 7-of-9 from behind the arc.
It was his second career 20-point game and his fifth career contest where he knocked down at least four triples.
The seven triples are currently tied for the most by a player in the HL this season, and the most by a Titan since Jon Goode sank eight at UIC on Jan. 19, 2008.
SENIOR STATUS
Four seniors are on the Titan roster in
Matthew Grant,
Chris Jenkins, Pat Robinson Jr., and
Jarod Williams. The quartet has played in 277 career games with 144 starts.
HE CAN SHOOT THE 3?
Freshman seven-footer
Malik Eichler is 4-for-4 behind the arc this season.
Eichler had a season-high seven points against Eastern Michigan, where he was 2-of-3 from the field and a perfect 3-of-3 at the free throw line.
SHOW ME THE WAY ED
Freshman walk-on
Ed Carter III had a great collegiate debut as he dished out a game-high five assists in the season opener. What was even better is that he recorded five assists against zero turnovers.
On the year, he has 11 assists against just four turnovers.
2017 LITTLE CAESARS MOTOR CITY MADNESS UPDATE
The 2017 Little Caesars Horizon League Men's and Women's Basketball Championship will run concurrently from March 3-7, at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit.
The championship games will be held on Tuesday, March 7, for the Horizon League title and an automatic bid into the NCAA Men's and Women's Tournaments.
2017 marks the final year the Little Caesars Horizon League Men's and Women's Basketball Championships will be contested at Joe Louis Arena before moving to the state-of-the-art Little Caesars Arena, currently under construction in downtown Detroit.
All tickets for the Little Caesars Horizon League Men's and Women's Basketball Championship will go on sale on Thursday, December 29. Fans can purchase tickets at Ticketmaster.com, Joe Louis Arena Box Office, Campus Box Offices, or the Joe Louis Arena Tickets Sales and Service Office at 313-471-7575.
Over 20,900 fans attended the four-day tournament last year, the first neutral-site HL men's basketball championship since 2003.
